Admiral Marcus
by Starsinger
Summary: What if Admiral Marcus hadn't died at Khan's hands, and, instead, been transported to the Enterprise with Carol, Scotty and Kirk to suffer her fate. Yet everything else had transpired, except Pike somehow survived in this one too. Good Marcus whumping in this one. Klingons approach Khan for his side of the story
1. Chapter 1

**Admiral Marcus**

by Starsinger

**What if Admiral Marcus hadn't died at Khan's hands, and, instead, been transported to the Enterprise with Carol, Scotty and Kirk to suffer her fate. Yet everything else had transpired, except Pike somehow survived in this one too. I'm not too evil. Marcus is getting a really good whumping here. I just have these evil plot bunnies. Don't own them.**

"LET US OUT!" Cupcake heard the Scottish accent as he turned around. Kirk, Scotty, and Dr. Marcus stood, relatively speaking, in one cell. Admiral Marcus stood in another, hatred and fear radiating off him in waves. Cupcake let his captain out first and then moved to the Admiral's cage.

"NO!" Kirk commanded. "This man has a LOT to answer for if we survive this. He stays put until I come back for him, or someone I authorize to release him does. Like, say, Admiral Archer."

Marcus watched as Kirk and Scotty bolted for the door, "YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME, KIRK! I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD FOR THIS!" Marcus watched as Heindorff helped his daughter a chair and called for medical.

"SHUT UP, DAD!" Carol called furiously, "You did this to yourself. Take what's coming to you like the man you're supposed to be." Taken aback by his own daughter, Marcus sat down and watched as McCoy, who ignored him, helped Carol hobble out of the room. Minutes passed like days as suddenly the ship lurched sideways and he was thrown against the glass that contained him. Heindorff was, fortunately, standing against the wall when the lurch occurred and looked up to see the man break his left arm with a thud.

They were falling. Marcus knew this. The ship was out of control, and he had had a hand in it. Then, the miracle occurred, the ship righted itself and suddenly, Marcus was on the floor, writhing in pain. The next unexpected fall had broken both of his legs. He heard a sigh behind him, "I suppose I should call Sickbay."

Minutes later, medical showed up as medics picked him up and dumped him on the stretcher, "Where's Dr. McCoy! He should be here!" he demanded.

"He has other concerns, Admiral," the medic replied. They strapped him down and pushed him unceremoniously down the corridor. As they entered Sickbay, it was busy, not unexpectedly, but most of the activity centered around a cryotube and two gurneys. He watched as they pulled one man out, and were undressing another. With a shock, he realized the other man was Kirk.

"What happened to him?" he asked the young African doctor attending him.

"Kirk went into the warp core chamber to restart the engines. The effort killed him," M'Benga replied. Marcus watched as Kirk did and said nothing to those around him. His head lolled back as they sat him up to pull off his shirt. The lack of energy and self-movement was unnatural.

Marcus' attention was brought back to McCoy as he heard the end of a conversation, "I NEED Khan alive. I think he can save Kirk."

M'Benga gave him a hypo that had him out cold. When he awoke, he was in a hospital, handcuffed to a hospital bed, his roommate, Christopher Pike. "Am I dead?"

"No, Marcus, you're alive," Pike was eating what looked like chocolate pudding. "Don't ask me how I am, I don't know how they pulled that one off."

Marcus looked down to see his left arm and both legs in casts, "How long have I been here?"

"Oh, about three hours. The MPs came into officially arrest you. You were out so they just handcuffed you to your bed, I'm sure you've noticed that already." Silence descended as Pike finished his pudding, "You know, Marcus, I tried to warn you about Kirk. You never listened." Marcus stared at the other man, "Jim is everything, militarily, that you'll never be, and you couldn't stand for that."

"Kirk's dead," Marcus muttered.

"They're working on that," another voice joined in. He looked up to see Archer and Barnett standing in the doorway. "That ship, that you built, was crashed into San Francisco, destroying much of the city and part of Starfleet Command." Archer sighed, "I'm not going to ask you what you were thinking, you have a trial coming up to answer for those crimes. Also, the Klingons are trying to have you extradited. Seems, they don't blame Kirk for what happened. After it was explained to them, they realized that you set Kirk up. They don't want a war, right now, or Kirk, they want you."

Marcus flinched, "Heard Rura Penthe* is nice this time of year. Not as cold as it normally is. I'm sure that they'll be more than happy to keep you warm there." They turned and left as Pike turned on the television, deliberately setting it on a channel showing the carnage in San Francisco, making Marcus face what he had done.

***Ah, Rura Penthe, nasty little prison planet run by the Klingons. Source is Star Trek VI: the Undiscovered Country, Kirk and McCoy ended up there.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 **

by Starsinger

**Those of you who are Trekkies, I'm afraid I might just scare the crap out of you with this first section. You'll know what I mean in a minute, the rest of you, go look them up. Don't own them.**

The doors to the chapel opened and Marcus strode in. It still amazed him that the Brass wouldn't believe him. The Jackasses would learn soon enough, he snorted. He walked up to the front of the chapel and looked. A coffin stood there, open. In it lay Captain James Tiberius Kirk. He lay in full dress uniform, unmoving. "Serves you right, you little pissant, thinking you could outsmart me," he snarled.

"Didn't he?" a voice asked behind him. He turned to find Christopher Pike standing behind him. "He's having a state funeral, where are you?"

"I'm here, and I'm alive. The coming war will be my triumph!" Marcus bellowed.

"You triumph, or our undoing?" came the question as Pike disappeared behind a wall of flames. He zoomed out and looked at Earth, it was completely ablaze. He looked over and found, instead of a Klingon war fleet, a giant metallic cube.

"We are the Borg. Resistance is futile. Lower you shields and surrender to us," came the unnerving, mechanical voice. He looked again and found Earth covered in a solid sheet of metal…

…only to wake up with a start in his bed in the hospital. He was perspiring heavily and he yanked his good hand, only to find it still restrained to the bed with handcuffs. He looked over to find Pike sleeping peacefully as the sun was starting to seep over the horizon. Dawn would soon be here. He pressed the nurse's button. A male nurse soon entered, "Please, may I get up? I need to see Kirk." The nurse left, and a few minutes later, he returned with the security guard assigned to him. They got him into a hoverchair with a minimum of pain and he watched as the guard pushed him to an elevator.

Marcus reflected on this serene moment. He had been told that he would be here several weeks. His advanced age did not allow a quick fix with his broken bones. Not only had he broken both legs in several places, he had broken his pelvis and right hip. They shouldn't be letting him up, but he was insistent. When he entered Kirk's room he noticed that the younger man was on a machine. Other than the rise and fall of his chest, he was utterly still.

"Come to admire your work?" another voice snarled. He looked over to see McCoy pulling himself upright on a nearby cot.

"Will he live?" Marcus asked.

McCoy rubbed his eyes tiredly, "I don't know. He's fighting me and everything I'm trying to do to help him. The only positive thing is that he's alive. Yes, alive, his heart is beating. The machine is because of a collapsed lung."

Marcus watched Kirk for many more moments before heading back out the door and back to his room. Later, Archer stopped by, again. "I heard you stopped by this morning to see Jim. Impressed with your handiwork?"

"You're the second person to ask me that question today."

"Alex, listen, Kirk and his crew have become heroes in the eyes of Earth. Spock is well known for having chased down Khan and is considered to be a national hero. Kirk, well, pictures of him in his current state have gone out, and he's practically worshipped for his sacrifice and bravery. You have been vilified for bringing this down on us."

"John, I just wanted us prepared for war!"

"And it takes more than just machines to fight a war. It takes smart men and women willing to fight and make solid decisions to win it. Jim, if he survives, will get that five year mission. You will go to prison. Didn't you listen to him at the Daystrom Institute? That was the third such incident recorded of him putting a series of unrelated items together and coming to a startling, and clear conclusion that came true. Can you do that?" Archer sighed. "I'll leave you to that, Alex. You're going to have a lot of time to consider what went wrong before the trial." Archer left Marcus to his unhappy thoughts.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 **

by Starsinger

**First off, a shout out to ****Happy the Exceed**** and her first story "Similarities". It is, imho, a credible first effort, especially for someone whose first language is not English. I have seen the ending, and it is quite satisfying, with an interesting twist. Of course, being her Beta has a lot to do with it. Now, back to the story. A lot of people want to "kill" Admiral Marcus, including Johnathan Archer (I don't mean this literally when it comes to Archer). Don't own any of them.**

Archer sighed with relief. Reports from Dr. McCoy were good. Kirk was finally responding to the treatment, and had the first of many surgeries to get him ready to wake up. Archer decided to get up and see for himself. It wasn't that he didn't trust McCoy, he just needed to see Jim. He allowed the transporter to take him to Zurich. A sudden inspiration struck Archer as he headed to Pike's room to take him to see Jim. Archer didn't quite understand all the in's and out's of how Pike survived. The doctors told him that, after they pulled him out of the room, the EMTs had inserted a catheter into his groin muscle and inserted a device that McCoy himself had developed as a cadet, to seal off tattered veins and arteries. Once that was done, they'd shocked his heart back into a rhythm, all the while running for Starfleet Medical. Pike was someone else McCoy, even indirectly, had brought back from the dead. All the while, Marcus had let Kirk believe that Pike was dead. The bastard.

Word had come down from Sulu that Jim was dead. Archer himself broke the news to Pike. It was the first time John had ever seen Chris break down and cry. The boy had been a second son to him. He'd loved him with all his heart, and it had physically hurt to see Chris like that just before the shuttle had touched down to take him to Zurich. John had walked onto the shuttle to see Chris off and seen the cryotube for himself. Jim looking like he was asleep inside it. Archer stayed on that shuttle as McCoy and M'Benga explained what happened and what they hoped to do. Chris automatically made M'Benga his attending so he could be nearby when McCoy needed him, and Chris could regular updates on Jim's condition. Marcus had gone down with other non-critical patients from the Enterprise to Zurich. Most other patients had gone to bases in Dallas, San Diego, and New York, but not Marcus. Zurich was the most secure hospital outside of San Francisco, and that hospital lay half in ruins.

John had stayed in the ICU waiting room with Uhura and Riley, waiting and hoping for word about Jim. Kirk was a fighter, and John chose to believe that this wouldn't turn out any differently. Finally, twelve hours later, McCoy finally came in, "He's alive. His heart's beating and he's breathing. I'm not going to lie, this is going to be a long, uphill battle, and he still may not make it. I'm going to try." McCoy chose that moment to break down and cry. Uhura stood and wrapped her arms around the shaking doctor as Riley and Archer rose and patted his back.

It was soon after that that Archer had his first angry confrontation with Marcus. He'd gone down to tell Chris what was going on, and Marcus just lay there. The look on his face was so smug, that Archer wanted to rip it off with his bare hands. The only thing that kept him from doing it was the fact that he was handcuffed to the bed. THAT brought some satisfaction. A week and a half into Jim's stay in the ICU and Marcus had his hip and pelvis repaired. Pike was ready to go when Archer got there, but Marcus wanted to see him as well. The man had a troubled look on his face.

After much debate, and promises that Archer wouldn't let Marcus out of sight, they traveled up to see Jim. The memorial had taken place that day, and McCoy had left to have lunch with the others, so the room was quiet as they entered it. Marcus rolled over and positioned himself so he could reach the comatose man, "Jim, I…" he reached out to touch Jim's hand. Jim jerked it away. Archer had remembered M'Benga saying something about Jim responding to his environment. Marcus looked at the movement before beginning again, "I'm sorry, Jim. I've been having these terrible dreams. About humans with machines all over them, and pasty white features, all accusing me of letting this happen to them because I got you killed," Archer's head jerked up. This sounded vaguely familiar. Something eerily similar to a report he'd read years ago by Zephram Cochrane.*

"Alex, by any chance, did they call themselves 'Borg'?" Archer asked.

Marcus looked up at him, "Yes, they did. How?"

Archer picked up a PADD and went into Starfleet's archives. There were the words of Cochrane, "Was approached by people claiming to be from the future. They were holding off a species of cyborgs known as the 'Borg' who were trying to prevent first contact and take over Earth. I don't know if they were actually from the future, but without their help, I would never have been able to make that first trip by warp drive. Doesn't list the names of who helped him, but it does say they said their ship was the USS Enterprise. No, wait, there are two names: William Riker and Deanna Troi. He, apparently, thought Troi was very beautiful."

"There's no one in Starfleet by those names," Marcus said.

"Not yet," Chris replied. Jim remained silent.

***Designed the first warp drive ship on Earth. Its testing, on April 5, 2063, prompted First Contact by the Vulcans. It's in probably the best of the Next Generation movies, "Star Trek: First Contact". They stopped numbering the Star Trek Films after number six.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 AM**

by Starsinger

**This is set many years in the future. If Archer can live to over 100, so can Pike. Call it an interlude. I'll get a much longer chapter up later today, promise. Don't own them.**

The cadet was tall, gangly, had brilliant blue eyes, was good looking if you were female, or gay, and quite intelligent. His name was also William Thomas Riker. His father was also a famous negotiator for the Federation. Admiral Pike looked over the desk and squinted at the young man. He wasn't as young as he used to be. "Cadet Riker, have you ever met Zephram Cochrane?"

"The creator of the first warp engine used on Earth? No, sir," he was a little puzzled. Not the usual opening questions for a new cadet at the Academy.

"Do you know someone named Deanna Troi?" Pike again asked.

Riker looked baffled, "Should I?"

"No, not necessary, Cadet, thank you. I'll be your mentor for your years here. We'll meet once a week. Good luck." Chris sighed as Will left, he reminded Pike A LOT of Kirk at that age.

_A few years later_

A petite young woman whose deep brown eyes bespoke her Betazoid heritage sat across from Admiral McCoy. She had been a huge score for Starfleet in that she already had a degree in Psychiatry from the University on Betazed. She could skip a whole bunch of basic courses, just like McCoy had himself. He was quite pleased with himself as his PADD pinged at him some additional questions. "Have you met Zephram Cochrane?" he asked.

"Earth's creator of warp drive?" she asked nervously. "Can't say that I have."

McCoy sighed, Betazoid honesty was even more renowned than that of Vulcans, "Do you know someone named William Riker?"

Troi was taken aback, "Yes, we met on Betazed when he was assigned there a few years ago." McCoy barely heard, "He's Imzadi." Imzadi, the Betazoid word for beloved, odd that it would be used for a human. He made a note that the two had met and sent it to Jim and Chris. "Thank you, Cadet. I'll be your mentor for your time here in the Academy. Let me know if you need anything when we meet weekly." Troi nodded her head before heading out.

McCoy headed out to meet with Pike and Kirk, "Trouble is, we don't know who else we need to put on that ship," Kirk muttered. He was referring to the new USS Enterprise currently going up in the Utopia Planitia shipyards on Mars.

"We'll just have to trust that we'll know when the time comes," Pike said. All three men nodded. The fate of Alpha Quadrant rested on the people they surrounded those two with, whether they knew it or not..

_Back in the past, before Archer dies_

John looked at his PADD, and scrubbed a hand over his face, he was old, and tired, ready to pass on, but a new message crossed the interface, "Meet us at the Deli, Troi and Riker."

Intrigued, Archer rose and left his office. Leaving word with his secretary that he would return later. He entered his favorite deli and turned to find a group of people in civilian clothes waving at him. Two stood to greet him, "I take it you're William Riker and Deanna Troi?" he asked. They both laughed and waved him to a seat. Introductions went around, Jean-Luc Picard, Captain, Data, Worf, a Klingon hiding under a knit cap, Dr. Beverly Crusher, and Geordi LaForge. Archer looked around and realized that this tired looking team was the one that Cochrane credited with saving Earth.

"Just getting back from a long trip?" he asked.

"Yes," Picard replied, "you might say that. We were quite successful."

"If you hadn't been we'd all look very differently?" Archer again asked.

"Yes," Troi replied, her accent very foreign. "Ambassador Spock, just before we left, asked us to stop by and tell you all went well."

"You're not going to let me see that ship, are you?" Archer asked wistfully.

"Let's just say, give Scotty's sketches the go ahead," LaForge answered. "It'll lead into another ship as well." Riker handed Archer his PADD. It was the Enterprise E, and it was beautiful, more than even he could ever have imagined.

They parted ways, "His last wish come true," Crusher murmured. "He'll never wake up tomorrow." The rest nodded as Riker discreetly hit a combadge for a beam-up. It was time to return home.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 **

by Starsinger

**You've probably guessed by now, that the beauty I put up as a picture for this story is the Sovereign Class USS Enterprise NCC-1701-E. It survived three movies, after succeeding the Galaxy Class Enterprise that was destroyed in "Generations". "First Contact" btw, is not my favorite Next Gen movie. Mine was "Insurrection". I was told, but that movie was bad. No it wasn't. It was more whimsical than the other three, so was the Voyage Home and no one complained about that one. I love Troi and Riker and their getting back together in that movie was just the icing on the cake. I liked Nemesis too, but it suffered from being "too dark" I think, and Data killing. "Into Darkness" suffers from that one too for Trekkies, too dark, I mean. Data wasn't in this one. Okay, back to the story, Kirk wakes up, and Marcus is court-martialed. Don't own them.**

Uhura showed up with a serious look on her face, "Admiral, I'm here to take you to see Captain Kirk. It's time." Chris looked serious momentarily before he nodded his head as she wheeled him out of the room. They were well clear of the room when Pike looked over his shoulder to see a huge smile on her face.

"Was it hard to keep a straight face in there?" Pike asked. "Is Jim awake?"

"You have no idea how hard that was," Uhura said with a chuckle. "No, he's not awake, not yet. McCoy said it will be today."

Pike smiled for the first time in over two weeks. His boy was coming back to him today. Uhura wheeled him into Jim's room and left, she'd be back later. He entered to see McCoy and Spock both hovering. Jim's eyes were still closed. Spock looked down and nodded at Chris in welcome. McCoy smiled at Chris as he waited. His view kept swapping from the vitals screen to Jim's prone form. It was a waiting game, and Chris was good at waiting. Then it happened, Jim took a deep breath and his eyes were open. He glanced around, looking very confused. Two weeks in a coma does that to people. It was a little odd, the only thing he moved. After a few moments of conversation between Kirk, McCoy and Spock, Spock moved aside to make room for Pike. The look of pure and utter joy on Jim's face was priceless.

"Chris…how?"

"Well, thanks to a technique developed by Cadet McCoy, they were able to bring me back," Chris answered. McCoy nodded with a grin of satisfaction. McCoy and Spock left them alone. "Jim, you didn't have to die to prove that you're a good captain."

Kirk sighed, "That's not why I did it, Chris. I did it because they're my family, and we were about to die."

Pike reached out and stroked Jim's hand, "I know. Jim, Marcus is my roommate." Kirk looked away, out a window. "You're going to have to face him sometime."

Kirk sighed, "He's not going to like what I have to say, and I won't hold back. He tried to KILL me and my crew. There is no forgiveness for that. I at least showed compassion to Khan. We didn't even get that."

Pike snorted, "The Klingons are trying to extradite him." Jim's head perked up, "Heard anything about Rura Penthe in your clearly misspent youth?"

Kirk looked sheepishly at Pike, "Yeah, I've actually been there. Really, really cold place, don't recommend it, but then again, I don't recommend being dead either. No, I wasn't a prisoner. The administration there is about as honorable cough as most prison administrations. I was working as an engineer on a freighter, I did mention that I have a Masters Degree in Engineering, right? Anyway, we stopped by Rura Penthe for a swap. I worked on their Environmental Systems, keeping people somewhat warm, while they gave us some high value dilithium crystals. Got some good credits out of that one. Not only did I get my share of the money from that cargo, I got some gold pressed latinum on top of that. The Klingons were VERY grateful."

They were soon joined by the rest of Kirk's crew. They crowded around the bed and laughed and cried. This lasted until Kirk fell asleep. A perfectly normal thing for someone who was recovering from dying, McCoy told them. Marcus looked up to see Pike reentering their room with a huge grin on his face, "So? How is he?"

"He's awake," Pike replied. "He'll talk to you, but you're not going to like it, Alex." Marcus nodded. Two days later Alexander Marcus was court martialed, and stripped of his rank.

"We'll wait until you're discharged from the hospital to convene a formal trial, Marcus, but understand this, get a lawyer now. It's not in our hands to determine the Klingon's claim on you," Admiral Johnson told him. Unfortunately, tomorrow would be the toughest yet, tomorrow, he would face the man he had tried to kill.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 **

by Starsinger

**Kirk stares down the man who dared deliberately put his crew in danger. He also meets an old Klingon "friend". Don't own them.**

Kirk awoke. This was getting really old. He stayed awake for ten minutes, then slept for two hours. He looked up to see an old friend, "Goroth? They let you off Rura Penthe?"

"New Klingon Chancellor, you may have heard of him, Guldarth. He married a human," he laughed. "What are you doing captaining a starship? You're the best engineer I've ever met."

"Oh, well, did that. Starfleet had other ideas," Jim laughed. "Besides, I have the best Engineer in Starfleet, believe it or not. Oh, this is Dr. Leonard McCoy, he saved my life." Jim introduced them. McCoy's eyes bugged out of his head. "I did some work for him."

"Good job, Doctor. I'm here on business, Kirk. I'm here take your statement on the incident surrounding your trip to Qo'noS." Kirk nodded. He told the story, beginning to end. He skipped a few things, like that ridiculous fight Uhura chose to have with Spock on the ship to Qo'noS. They really could have picked a better time to have THAT discussion, and then they dragged him into it!

"Well, that's all the professional business that was needed. I'm glad you're well, my friend, and, frankly, this is perfect for you. You would have been wasted anywhere else. Well, except on Qo'noS, what you could do for the Klingons!"

"Sorry, my friend, I'm allergic to Blood Wine. I am glad to see that you've moved up in the universe. You're the Ambassador to the Federation Council?"

"Oh, yes, Earth is much more beautiful than I imagined. Klingons are powerful, but lack imagination. Qa'pla!"

"Qa'pla," Jim returned.

"Okay, what does that mean, Qasomething," McCoy asked.

"Qa'pla? It means success…" Jim's voice trailed off as he focused on someone by the door. McCoy looked over to find Marcus sitting there.

"If you need anything, Jim, hit the nurse's button," McCoy told him before leaving.

"Marcus," Kirk said. Kirk's face had gone hard. Something that Marcus had never actually seen before as fire seemed to spark from Kirk's icy blue eyes. "Well, it seems that you still managed to lose, Alex. I can call you that, now, Alex." Marcus couldn't quite meet Kirk's eyes, "You sent us on that mission, never intending us to return. You thought that we could provoke a war. You had no problems condemning us."

"You should never have made it back to Earth," Marcus told him.

"I'm well aware of that, ALEX. If there is a war, then I'll be one of many people fighting it. Rura Penthe, frankly, is too good for you."

"You've BEEN there?" Marcus asked.

"Yes, I have. My trip was much more pleasant, and profitable, than yours will be. My testimony has been taken by both the prosecution and the Klingons. If I believed in such, I'd hope that you rot in hell. You WILL NEVER be in a position to deliberately put good people in harm's way again."

"People die in war, Kirk," Marcus hissed back.

"You're right, Marcus. They do. If we had died fighting the Klingons during a war, then I would have accepted that, I'd have been dead, so it wouldn't have made a difference. I'm a soldier, soldiers die in battle. What you designed was a slaughter. Khan was as much a pawn as I was. I hope he's able to see justice done for him and his family as I will."

"The Klingons will come for you, Jim." Marcus snarled.

"There's a difference between us, Alex. I've made friends in the Klingon Empire, and I'm not the only one. They may be thieves and pirates, but they're honorable friends and foes."

"What do you mean thieves and pirates?" Marcus asked, taken aback.

"Most of the technology they have they've obtained through less than legal measures. They raided a Romulan border colony for warp technology. A federation freighter yielded photon torpedoes and phaser modulators. Replicator technology they bullied out of the Ferengi. They won't back down, though. If their honor is at stake, they'll fight until they're victorious or dead, or unable to go on. Although, they're not afraid to trade either. I got some good money out of a trade with Klingons." Suddenly, Kirk was asleep. No warning, no sign of his being tired, his eyes closed and he was lost to the world.

"He lasted longer than I expected," a voice sounded behind him. "Are you done, Marcus?"

Marcus looked up at McCoy, "Take care of him, McCoy. He's the best hope of the Federation. All of you are."

McCoy looked like he was about to say something, then changed his mind, "Go, Marcus, before I do something that I regret." With that, Marcus left, much left unsaid.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 **

by Starsinger

**Two great things today, my order of Star Trek Into Darkness shipped today from Amazon, should be here Tuesday! Oh, and watched the Avengers. I know the guy who played Thor also played George Kirk, but does anyone else feel that Jim Kirk could be Tony Stark's illegitimate son? Oh, and Bruce Wayne has nothing on Tony Stark when it comes to "wonderful toys". If you never thought I was a comic book geek, check out my early stories on the X-Men. And don't remind me of all those loose ends I've got going. I still get the occasional e-mail about Stryker's Revenge. Klingons approach Khan for his side of the story, and he's satisfied. Don't own any of them.**

The maximum security prison cell that Goroth was led to was surprising. The man inside didn't look like the kind of person that would intimidate a fly, much less an entire planet and Starfleet Command. There he stood, he didn't look angry, he looked, resigned. He turned to stare at the Klingon, not backing down. There was something about this man that was implacable. Goroth suddenly realized that he wouldn't want this man as an enemy.

"What do you want?" came the question.

"Your testimony," Goroth growled.

"Who are you wanting to prosecute?"

"Marcus," Goroth replied.

Khan nodded, "Good, you're going after the right person." Goroth watched as he smoothly sat down in the chair at the front of the cell. "What do you want to know?"

"Just tell me what happened," Goroth replied. "We're not here for you, we want someone else."

Khan nodded, "In the late twentieth century, certain types of humans were bred and genetically engineered for perfection. My name is Khan Noonien Singh, look it up, you can find me. Increased strength and intelligence, as well as enhanced endurance, we were set up to bring peace, a utopia if you will, to Earth. It was called Eugenics. We started doing just that, we took over the world, piece by piece. We consolidated the warring countries, and brought them under our rule. Soon, however, others fought back. The refused to accept our rule, and wanted freedom for themselves and those who followed them. They consolidated their positions and soon, we were pushed back to one country. The others having been destroyed around us.

"We were about to set off a doomsday weapon, one that would destroy the Earth's inhabitants when we were approached by a man. He called himself Gary Seven, odd name. He persuaded me and one hundred of my followers to abandon Earth, go to sleep, and wait for a better time to conquer Earth. So, we did, we boarded the SS Botany Bay, and left Earth in peace."*

Khan took a sip of water, "Eight months ago, Admiral Marcus, looking for new ways to create destruction, stumbled across the Botany Bay. After further research, he decided to awaken me, and use me. Use me he did. He held my crew, seventy-two of whom survived, hostage, never letting them out of their tubes. He made me create weapons for a war he said was coming, a war with you, by the way." Goroth nodded, "I escaped, and the rest is pretty much in the records. I crashed a top level meeting with Starfleet brass, beamed to Qo'noS, Enterprise came after me, I killed a bunch of Klingons who were in the wrong place at the wrong time, came back to Earth, tried to destroy the Enterprise and managed to kill Kirk instead, and was captured by Commander Spock. I'm here, Kirk is alive, Marcus is on trial for his life, and you're talking to me."

Goroth nodded again, "That's quite a story to tell. From what I heard the Eugenics War was an ugly little war. Many people died."

"People die in war, Ambassador. It's the nature of conflict. Kirk understands this. I hope you get Marcus, and I hope you send him to a dirty little prison planet your species is renowned for. I'll be satisfied justice will have been done then."

"Thank you, sir," Goroth said as he left. He respected the man as a warrior. He would have made a worthy opponent. Khan watched the Klingon's retreating back.

"Barbarian."

**This section is loosely based on the episode "Space Seed" from The Original Series. In this episode, the Enterprise was the one that found the Botany Bay, not Admiral Marcus. Scary guy, Khan not Marcus.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 **

by Starsinger

**It's an oddball group that gathers in Kirk's room to witness Marcus' trial. Not the least of which is, well, Khan. Don't own them.**

"Popcorn?" Kirks asked, nonchalantly.

"Yes, thank you," Khan replied, taking the proffered bowl. Even after three hundred years, popcorn was still a tasty treat. Khan was being permitted to watch the proceedings before he was slotted to go back into deep sleep. Kirk had offered his semi-permanent residence in the hospital as a viewing platform. They'd moved him in with Pike after two more weeks in the ICU. Khan, hesitantly, accepted, knowing that armed guards would be in and outside the room. He wasn't expecting both Kirk and Pike to be beautifully urbane and wonderfully witty company. He did wish there was a bit more butter on the popcorn, though.

"Alexander Marcus, before we start, I need to inform you that I have reviewed the petition for extradition by the Klingon Chancellor. Despite your lawyer's best arguments, I can find no reason to deny the petition, a week following this trial, you will be transported by a neutral party, the Organians, to the Klingon homeworld, Qo'noS, to await your fate. Do you understand?"

Marcus had turned very pale at this announcement, he barely whispered, "Yes, Your Honor."

Kirk grinned looking sideways at Khan, "Barbarians do have their place. I'll have to get you to give me a full summary of Rura Penthe before I go to sleep, Captain."

"Not a problem, Khan, not a problem," Kirk chuckled before grabbing another handful of popcorn. McCoy walked in and, with a resigned sigh, flopped down into a chair beside Khan. Khan held out his bowl, McCoy took some.

The prosecution laid out its case in its opening argument. Marcus had awoken Khan, a known criminal, and forced him to make weapons of mass destruction, while holding the man's family hostage. In retaliation, Khan broke free and fired upon a meeting of top Starfleet brass, killing many, and, after the heroic actions of Captain James T. Kirk, Khan left for Qo'noS. Hoping to incite a war, Marcus sent Kirk after Khan, and, instead of firing on Qo'noS, Kirk went after Khan…" the Prosecutor went on to lay out his case. The Defense soon laid out its own case, but everyone watching could tell that Marcus had already given up. He slumped down in his chair and wouldn't look at anyone, even his lawyer.

McCoy had explained that there had been 231 deaths on the Enterprise, leaving 269 still alive. Only one, Kirk himself, was still in the hospital. When the recording of the conversation between Marcus and Kirk was played for the court, including Kirk turning and apologizing to his bridge crew, Pike looked sideways at his young friend. Khan's hands tightened on the armrests of his chair. It was his and his family's lives that Kirk had tried to bargain for as well. He also looked at the young captain with a newfound respect.

The trial ended as expected, Marcus was found guilty and was sentenced to 218 years in a penal colony, to begin if and when he returned from Qo'noS. Unlike the Federation, the Klingons did have a death penalty. It was largely ignored when the judge took into consideration the extradition request. It was a little strange as Khan rose, grabbed the remaining popcorn, and left the room, laughing, it sounded rather maniacal. Kirk and Pike looked at each other. Soon, Amber came in to get Kirk out of bed for his ten minutes of sitting up. She took pity on him and put Pike in wheelchair so he could supervise his young friend. "At least you're getting out of bed, and no longer falling asleep every ten minutes."

"I wish…" Jim trailed off. "I wish I knew where Sam was. Dying has that effect on some people, I'd like to see my family again." Pike studied his friend, knowing that it might not be possible, yet understanding where that yearning was coming from.


End file.
